Guide member support and device for beating up weft yarn in the shed of a loom

ABSTRACT

In a loom, the guide members for the picked weft yarn are supported on a pivotable support and an arm joins the support with the loom and pivots the guide members out of the warp shed as the slay reciprocates in the weaving direction; the relative locations and motions of the slay, the pivots for the support and for the arm are selected to effect the desired guide member pivoting; the weft yarn beat up means is relatively nonpivoting.

United States Patent Porter Dec. 16, 1975 [5 GUIDE MEMBER SUPPORT AND DEVICE 2,714,403 8/1955 Turner 139/191 FOR BEATING p WEFI YARN IN THE 2,766,778 10/1956 Kronoff 139/191 2,793,658 5/1957 Dunham 139/191 SHED OF A LOOM 2,956,592 10/1960 Pearwaller 139/191 [75] Inventor: Allan William Henry Porter, 3,557,845 l/1971 Svaty et a1. 139/191 Lustmuhle, Switzerland [73] Assignee: Aktiengesellschaft Adolph Saurer, T ExamiiwrwMervm Stem Arbor], Switzerland ASSISZGHI Exammer-Steven Hawkins Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Ostrolenk, Faber, Gerb & [22] Filed: Apr. 1, 1974 Soffen [21] Appl. No.: 456,808

[57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application P i it Dat In a loom, the guide members for the picked weft yarn Apr 10 1973 Switz e 11 a n d 51 1 H73 are supported on a pivotable support and an arm joins the support with the loom and pivots the guide mem- 52 us. 01 139/190- 139/191 out of the warp Shed as the Slay reciprocates 51 lm. c1. D031) 49/60 the weaving direction; the relative cations and [58] Field of Search 139/190 191 ions 0f the slay the Pivots the SUPPort and for the arm are selected to effect the desired guide member [56] References Cited pivoting; the weft yarn beat up means is relatively UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,588,843 3/1952 lwald 139/190 16 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure GUIDE MEMBER SUPPORT AND DEVICE FOR BEATING UP WEFT YARN IN THE SHED OF LOOM Background of the Invention The present invention relates to guide means for the picking of the weft yarn, to the support for such guide means, to the movement of the guide means and also to the means for beating up of the weft yarn in the shed of the loom.

In a loom, the guide means for the weft yarn comprises a plurality of guide members aligned in the weft direction across the warp threads. Each guide member has a weft yarn supporting opening therein. The threads of weft yarn are picked or threaded across the guide members through their openings. The guide members are connected to the slay of the loom. The slay reciprocatingly moves the guide membersthrough the warp shed. As the guide members move in the weaving direction, the weft yarn threads are eventually lifted out of the exit slits of the guide member openings by the warp yarn threads as these openings move out of the warp shed. Also connected to the slay are the reeds which beat up the weft yarn against the fell or striking edge of the fabric at the forward end of the warp shed.

Weft yarn guide means are known wherein the guide members are carried on a support that is secured to the slay, so as to shift and pivot with the slay. The reeds are also secured on the same support. The support for the reeds and for the guide members, called a batten, is pivotally connected to the slay. It can pivot with respect to the slay from a position at which the guide members and reeds are facing in the weaving direction to positions where those elements are oblique to the weaving direction.

This arrangement has a number of disadvantages. In order to move the guide members out of the warp shed before the reeds strike the fell or stop edge of the fabric, the pivot point of the batten on the slay must be beyond the fell of the fabric in the weaving direction. When the guide members pivot out of the warp shed, this causes the reeds to move to beat up the yarn, not in the weaving direction, but instead obliquely thereto, corresponding to the distance along the weaving direction of the pivot of the batten on the slay from the fabric fell. 7

In order to minimize the extent of the pivoting from the weaving direction of the batten and of the reeds it supports, the exit point of the guide means openings from the warp shed is arranged to be as close as possible to the fabric fell, i.e. the pivot point of the batten on the slay is brought as close as possible along the weaving direction to the fabric fell. This is disadvantageous, particularly with fabrics having a dense warp, because the guide members have a relatively great thickness and each pushes the adjacent warp threads apart in the weft direction in the vicinity of the .fell of the fabric. This displacement of the warp threads produces an undesired striped appearing weave.

Brief Description of the Invention The foregoing disadvantage of the above described known looms is avoided by pivotally connecting the guide means to the slay, on the one hand, and'to the frame of the loom, on the other hand, while relatively non-pivotingly supporting and moving the reeds to the weft yarn beat up position. v 1

Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide means for guiding the weft yarn through .the warp shed to the beat up position and to provide effective means for beating up the weft yarn.

ltis' another object of the present invention to provide such means wherein the weft yarn beat up means strikes the weft yarn in the weaving direction.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means for removing the weft yarn guide means from the warp shed while permitting the beat up means to properly operate in the weaving direction.

It is a further object of the invention to separately mount the weft yarn guide means and the weft yarn guiding means and beat up means in accordance with the invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention Turning to the drawing, loom includes conventional means 102 for spooling, tensioning and moving the warp yarn. Loom 100 includes loom frame 1 on which slay 2 is mounted for reciprocating movement in the direction of arrows 104 by means of guiding and supporting bar 3 to which slay 2 is fixedly connected for movement therewith. Guide opening 105 through loom frame 1 guides the reciprocating movement of guide bar 3. The driving of slay 2 is effected in a conventional manner by means of a motor in loom 100 rotating cam l06,'which shifts cam 108, body 110, guide bar 3 and slay 2 reciprocally in the direction of arrows 104.

Atop slay 2 is affixed batten 14. Attached to batten 14 and extending above it are a plurality of weft yarn beating elements or reeds 8. The reeds extend between neighboring warp yarn threads for beating up the weft yarn against the fell or striking edge 11 of the fabric 12.

Warp yarn spooling, tensioning and moving means 102 support the warp yarn threads 9, 10 and define a warp shed between upper warp thread 9, lower warp thread 10, reed 8 and fell 11. Warp threads 9, 10 meet at fell 11 where they are bound to fabric 12 by the last beaten weft yarn thread (not shown).

On the weaving or forward or left side in the drawing of batten 14 is fixedly attached the guide means support flange 15. Guide means support '16 is pivotally supported around pivot axle 13, which is fixedly located in flange 15. Support'16 includes arm 161 on one side of axle 13 and arm 162 on theother side of axle 13. Arm 161 of support 16 is pivotally connected at pivot connection 22 with one end of swiveling sword arm 25 of the slay. Sword arm 25 is, in turn, pivotally connected at its other end at loom frame pivot 27 to loom frame 1.

Driven by cams 106, 108, slay 2 shifts reciprocally in the direction of arrows 104 between its outer position furthest from fell 11, which is the solid line position illustrated in the drawing at which the flat or smallest radius side of cam 106 is pressing on body 110, and its inner position'illustrated in broken lines in the drawing, wherein cam 106 has rotated and the largest radius side of the cam ispressing on body 110.

members 31, which are aligned with each other along ledge 29 in the weft direction. Ledge 29'includes guide channel 114 in which guide members 31 are locked;

Each guide member 31 has a weft picking guide ope ning 33 through it. Openings 33 are aligned to permit weft picking through these openings. At its upper rear side facing away from fell 11, each weft guide member has an exit slit 35 from its respective opening 33, through which the picked weft thread exits as the guide members move out of the warp shed.

In the outer position of the slay, a conventional weft picking element (not shown) such as a shuttle, or the like, passes the weft thread through aligned guide openings 33. Thereafter, slay 2 moves both support 16 and batten 14 with supported reeds 8 to the left in the weaving direction toward fabric fell 11. During thismovement, swiveling sword arm 25 pivots counterclockwise in the drawing about pivot 27. Because the arcuate path of pivot 22 differs from the straight line path of axle 13, support 16 pivots clockwise about pivot 13 between its outer and inner positions, i.e. its solid line and broken line positions, respectively. In pivoting between these positions, the guide member open-ings 33 follow path 116. The tipping angl e'of support 16-depends upon the verticaldisplacement of the pivot 22 and it is so selected that the guide members 31 are pivoted along path 116 downwardly and out of the warp shed a exit point 118.

According to the invention, the location of loom frame pivot 27 for sword arm 25 was selected in order to achieve an early point of exit 118 for the guide member openings 33 from the warp shed after start of the movement of slay 2 in the weaving direction.

The picked weft thread in opening 33 is lifted through exit slits 35 as path 116 crosses lower warp yarn thread in the warp shed.- Exit slits 35 from openings 33 are arranged and positioned so that the weft yarn thread can slide practically friction free out of openings 33 during the illustrated pivoting movement of guide members 31.

The movement of slay 2 not only causes the above described pivoting of support 16 and guide members 31, it also moves reeds 8 in the weaving direction up to the beat up position at the fell 11 of the fabric, and causes the reeds to beat up the last picked thread of weft yarn. Because reeds 8 are not connected on support 16, they remain vertical with respect to the horizontal fabric 12 throughout the beating up of the weft yarn.

In particular, pivot point 27 of sword arm is chosen so that it is beyond the fell in the weaving direction and is at the furthest past fell 11 the same distance as pivot 22 is past fell 11 when slay 2 has shifted to the left to its innermost position shown in broken lines in the drawing. In other words, with slay 2 to the left, pivot 22 is either at the same position or further in the weaving direction than pivot 27. In the drawing, pivot 22 in its furthest position in the weaving direction is past pivot 27. Preferably, the distance in the weaving direction between pivot 27 and the line of fell 11 (the beat up position of reed 8) is approximately l/6 the length of the stroke of slay beam 14 i.e. the horizontal distance traveled by axle 13 between its two end positions shown in the drawings) less than is the distance 4 1 in the weaving direction between-pivot 22 and the'line of fell 11 at the furthestposition of pivot 22 in the weave direction.

In an alternate arrangement, supporting flange l5, and perhaps batten 14 connected to it, pivots with respect to loom frame 1. The radius of swiveling of flange 15 should be relatively quite large as compared to the length of swivel arm 25. In FIG. 1, the radius of swivel of flange 15 is effectively infinite as it reciprocates horizontally. The relationship of the radius of pivot of flange 15 as compared with the length of sword arm 25 ensures that support 16 and guide members 31 thereon pivot out of the warp shed. Such exiting from the shed would not occur were the radius of pivot of flange 15 the same as the length of sword arm 25. Favorable movement of guide means 31 is obtained if the .pivot radius of flange 15 is more than about 5 times the length of sword arm 25. 5

Furthermore, the length of swiveling sword arm 25 should be on the same order of magnitude as the length of the stroke of slay 2 in the direction of arrows 104 and is preferably in the range of from the same length as to twice the length of the stroke of the slay. Although the present invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment thereof, many variations and modifications will now become apparent to thoseskilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by the specific. disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims. 1

I claim: 1. Device for guiding the picking of weft yarn and for beating up weft yarn in the shed of a loom, comprising:

a loom comprising:

warp yarn supporting means for supporting warp threads to define a warp shed;

a slay reciprocally movable along a generally straight line .in the weaving direction toward the fell of the fabric being wovenon the loom and being reciprocally movable in a direction opposite to the weaving direction; means for so moving said slay; said slay having a first position, which is its position of furthest reciprocation in the weaving direction, and having a second position, which is itsposition of furthest reciprocation opposite to the weaving direction;

weft yarn beat up means supported on the loom to beat up the weft yarn at the fell of the fabric; weft yarn motion guide means connected to said sla'y to be moved thereby; means for picking weft yarn in said guide means; said guide means comprising: a plurality of guide members and a common support on which said guide members are carried;'said guide members being spaced apart across their'said guide member support in the weft direction; each said guide member including means for holding a picked weft thread and including means for releasing the picked weft thread when said guide member is in a first tilted orientation and that weft thread engages a warp thread in thewarp shed;

a sword arm; said guide member support having a first location at which there is a first pivot; at said first pivot, said guide member support is pivotally connected with one end of said sword arm; the other end of said sword arm being pivotally connected at a loom pivot that is located on a portion of said loom that is stationary with respect to movement of said slay; with said slay moved into said second position, said loom-pivot being further in said weaving direction than said first pivot;

said guide member support having a second location at which there is a second pivot; at said second pivot, said guide member support being pivotally connected to said slay; said second pivot being spaced from said first pivot; said first pivot being located further in said weaving direction than is said second pivot,

whereby reciprocating movement of said slay correspondingly reciprocates said guide means and tilts said guide members so that they move along a curved pathway between an orientation at which said means for holding a picked weft thread is in the shed and said first tilted orientation at which said means for holding a picked weft thread has moved out of the shed.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein each said guide member means for holding a picked weft thread comprises an opening through said guide member through which a weft thread is picked and said means for releasing the picked weft thread comprises a slit in said guide member at the side thereof away from the fell of the fabric, which said slit joins said guide member opening with the outside of said guide member.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said beat up means is movable in the weaving direction to a beat up position and at that position it defines the fell of the fabric being woven; said first and said loom pivots being so located and said guide member common support being so shaped that when said slay moves to said first position, said loom pivot is still located past the fell of the fabric in the weaving direction and said first pivot moves at least as far in the weaving direction from the fell as said loom pivot is located.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the length of said sword arm is of the same order of magnitude as the length of the stroke of said slay between its said first and said second positions.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein in said slay first position, the distance in the weaving direction between said loom pivot and the fell of the fabric is related to the distance in the weaving direction between said first pivot and the fell of the fabric such that said loom pivot is closer to the fell than said first pivot by a distance of about l/6 of the length of the stroke of said slay between its said first and said second positions.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said weft yarn beat up means is connected to and is reciprocally moved by said slay in the weaving direction and in the opposite direction; said beat up means being non-pivotingly connected to said slay, whereby said guide means pivots and said beat up means does not.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said sword arm has a length between said first and said loom pivots in the range of from the same length as said slay stroke between its said first and said second positions to twice the length of said slay stroke between its said first and said second positions.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said guide member support is so shaped and said guide member means are so positioned thereon that said guide member means are further from the fell than said second pivot.

9. Device for guiding the picking of weft yarn in the shed of a loom, comprising:

, a slay reciprocally movable along a generally straight line in the weaving direction toward the fell of the fabric being woven on the loom and being reciprocally movable in a direction opposite to the weaving direction; means for so moving said slay;

said slay. having a first position, which is its position of furthest reciprocation in the weaving direction, and having a second position, which is its position of furthest reciprocation opposite to the weaving direction;

weft yarn motion guide means connected to said slay to be moved thereby; said guide means comprising: a plurality of guide members and a common support on which said guide members are carried; each said guide member including means for holding a picked weft threadand including means for releasing the picked weft thread when that weft thread engages a warp thread in the warp shed;

a sword arm; said guide member support having a first location at which there is a first pivot; at said first pivot, said guide member support is pivotally connected with one end of said sword arm; the other end of said sword arm being pivotally connected at a loom pivot that is located on a portion of said loom thatis stationary with respect to movement of said slay; with said slay moved into said second position, said loom pivot being further in said weaving direction than said first pivot;

said guide member support having a second location at which there is a second pivot; at said second pivot, said guide member support is pivotally connected to said slay; said second pivot being spaced from said first pivot; said first pivot being located further in said weaving direction than is said second pivot.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein said guide member support is so shaped and said guide member means are so positioned thereon that said guide member means are further from the fell than said second pivot.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein said first and said loom pivot are so located and said guide member common support is so shaped that when said slay moves to said first position, said loom pivot is still located past the fell of the fabric in the weaving direction and said first pivot moves at least as far in the weaving direction from the fell as said loom pivot is located.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein said sword arm has a length between said first and said loom pivots in the range of from the same length as said slay stroke between its said first and said second positions to twice the length of said slay stroke between its said first and said second positions.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein in said slay first position, the distance in the weaving direction between said loom pivot and the fell of the fabric is related to the distance in the weaving direction between said first pivot and the fell of the fabric such that said loom pivot is closer to the fell than said first pivot by a distance of about l/6 of the length of the stroke of said slay between its said first and said second positions.

14. Device for guiding the motion of weft yarn in the shed of a loom, comprising:

a slay reciprocally movable along a generally straight line in the weaving direction toward the fell of the fabric being woven on the loom and being reciprocally movable in a direction opposite to the weaving direction; means for so moving said slay;

said slay having a first position, which is its position of furthest reciprocation in the weaving direction, and having a second position, which is its position of furthest reciprocation opposite to the weaving direction;

weft yarn motion guide means connected to said slay to be moved thereby; said guide means comprising: a plurality of guide members and a common support on which said guide members are carried; each said guide member including means for holding a picked weft thread and including means for releasing the picked weft thread when that weft thread engages a warp thread in the warp shed;

means connected with said slay and with said guide member support for curvilinearly moving said guide member support upon reciprocation of said slay, such that with said slay at said second position, said guide member means for holding picked weft thread are in the shed, and upon reciprocation of said slay to said first position, the said means for curvilinearly moving said guide member support moving said guide member means out of the shed and along a curved pathway that is concave with respect to the fabric bell and that starts in a direction that is more sharply across the direction of the path of slay reciprocation and that gradually approaches the direction of that path.

8 15. The device of claim 14, wherein said means for moving said guide member support is also adapted to gradually tilt said guide member means as said slay reciprocates; the said curvilinear path of said guide member means being around a first axis; said guide member means having a second, tilt axis that is different from the said first axis; said guide member means being tiltable around said second axis upon reciprocation of said slay; said means for moving said guide member support serving to tilt said guide member means in the direction opposed to that in which said guide member means are being reciprocated by said slay.

16. Device for guiding the motion of weft yarn in the shed of a loom, comprising:

a slay reciprocable toward and away from the fell of the fabric being woven on the loom; weft yarn guide members supported on said slay and reciprocable therewith; said guide members including means for holding picked weft thread and for releasing that weft thread when said guide members exit the loom shed; means connected to said slay for movement therewith and also connected to said guide members for moving said guide members on a pathway that is concavely shaped with respect to the fell of the fabric as said guide members are moved out of the loom shed upon motion of said slay toward the fell of the fabric. 

1. Device for guiding the picking of weft yarn and for beating up weft yarn in the shed of a loom, comprising: a loom comprising: warp yarn supporting means for supporting warp threads to define a warp shed; a slay reciprocally movable along a generally straight line in the weaving direction toward the fell of the fabric being woven on the loom and being reciprocally movable in a direction opposite to the weaving direction; means for so moving said slay; said slay having a first position, which is its position of furthest reciprocation in the weaving direction, and having a second position, which is its position of furthest reciprocation opposite to the weaving direction; weft yarn beat up means supported on the loom to beat up the weft yarn at the fell of the fabric; weft yarn motion guide means connected to said slay to be moved thereby; means for picking weft yarn in said guide means; said guide means comprising: a plurality of guide members and a common support on which said guide members are carried; said guide members being spaced apart across their said guide member support in the weft direction; each said guide member including means for holding a picked weft thread and including means for releasing the picked weft thread when said guide member is in a first tilted orientation and that weft thread engages a warp thread in the warp shed; a sword arm; said guide member support having a first location at which there is a first pivot; at said first pivot, said guide member support is pivotally connected with one end of said sword arm; the other end of said sword arm being pivotally connected at a loom pivot that is located on a portion of said loom that is stationary with respect to movement of said slay; with said slay moved into said second position, said loom pivot being further in said weaving direction than said first pivot; said guide member support having a second location at which there is a second pivot; at said second pivot, said guide member support being pivotally connected to said slay; said second pivot being spaced from said first pivot; said first pivot being located further in said weaving direction than is said second pivot, whereby reciprocating movement of said slay correspondingly reciprocates said guide means and tilts said guide members so that they move along a curved pathway between an orientation at which said means for holding a picked weft thread is in the shed and said first tilted orientation at which said means for holding a picked weft thread has moved out of the shed.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein each said guide member means for holding a picked weft thread comprises an opening through said guide member through which a weft thread is picked and said means for releasing the picked weft thread comprises a slit in said guide member at the side thereof away from the fell of the fabric, which said slit joins said guide member opening with the outside of said guide member.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein said beat up means is movable in the weaving direction to a beat up position and at that position it defines the fell of the fabric being woven; said first and said loom pivots beinG so located and said guide member common support being so shaped that when said slay moves to said first position, said loom pivot is still located past the fell of the fabric in the weaving direction and said first pivot moves at least as far in the weaving direction from the fell as said loom pivot is located.
 4. The device of claim 3, wherein the length of said sword arm is of the same order of magnitude as the length of the stroke of said slay between its said first and said second positions.
 5. The device of claim 3, wherein in said slay first position, the distance in the weaving direction between said loom pivot and the fell of the fabric is related to the distance in the weaving direction between said first pivot and the fell of the fabric such that said loom pivot is closer to the fell than said first pivot by a distance of about 1/6 of the length of the stroke of said slay between its said first and said second positions.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein said weft yarn beat up means is connected to and is reciprocally moved by said slay in the weaving direction and in the opposite direction; said beat up means being non-pivotingly connected to said slay, whereby said guide means pivots and said beat up means does not.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein said sword arm has a length between said first and said loom pivots in the range of from the same length as said slay stroke between its said first and said second positions to twice the length of said slay stroke between its said first and said second positions.
 8. The device of claim 1, wherein said guide member support is so shaped and said guide member means are so positioned thereon that said guide member means are further from the fell than said second pivot.
 9. Device for guiding the picking of weft yarn in the shed of a loom, comprising: a slay reciprocally movable along a generally straight line in the weaving direction toward the fell of the fabric being woven on the loom and being reciprocally movable in a direction opposite to the weaving direction; means for so moving said slay; said slay having a first position, which is its position of furthest reciprocation in the weaving direction, and having a second position, which is its position of furthest reciprocation opposite to the weaving direction; weft yarn motion guide means connected to said slay to be moved thereby; said guide means comprising: a plurality of guide members and a common support on which said guide members are carried; each said guide member including means for holding a picked weft thread and including means for releasing the picked weft thread when that weft thread engages a warp thread in the warp shed; a sword arm; said guide member support having a first location at which there is a first pivot; at said first pivot, said guide member support is pivotally connected with one end of said sword arm; the other end of said sword arm being pivotally connected at a loom pivot that is located on a portion of said loom that is stationary with respect to movement of said slay; with said slay moved into said second position, said loom pivot being further in said weaving direction than said first pivot; said guide member support having a second location at which there is a second pivot; at said second pivot, said guide member support is pivotally connected to said slay; said second pivot being spaced from said first pivot; said first pivot being located further in said weaving direction than is said second pivot.
 10. The device of claim 9, wherein said guide member support is so shaped and said guide member means are so positioned thereon that said guide member means are further from the fell than said second pivot.
 11. The device of claim 9, wherein said first and said loom pivot are so located and said guide member common support is so shaped that when said slay moves to said first position, said loom pivot is still located past the fell of the fabric in the weaving direction and saiD first pivot moves at least as far in the weaving direction from the fell as said loom pivot is located.
 12. The device of claim 11, wherein said sword arm has a length between said first and said loom pivots in the range of from the same length as said slay stroke between its said first and said second positions to twice the length of said slay stroke between its said first and said second positions.
 13. The device of claim 11, wherein in said slay first position, the distance in the weaving direction between said loom pivot and the fell of the fabric is related to the distance in the weaving direction between said first pivot and the fell of the fabric such that said loom pivot is closer to the fell than said first pivot by a distance of about 1/6 of the length of the stroke of said slay between its said first and said second positions.
 14. Device for guiding the motion of weft yarn in the shed of a loom, comprising: a slay reciprocally movable along a generally straight line in the weaving direction toward the fell of the fabric being woven on the loom and being reciprocally movable in a direction opposite to the weaving direction; means for so moving said slay; said slay having a first position, which is its position of furthest reciprocation in the weaving direction, and having a second position, which is its position of furthest reciprocation opposite to the weaving direction; weft yarn motion guide means connected to said slay to be moved thereby; said guide means comprising: a plurality of guide members and a common support on which said guide members are carried; each said guide member including means for holding a picked weft thread and including means for releasing the picked weft thread when that weft thread engages a warp thread in the warp shed; means connected with said slay and with said guide member support for curvilinearly moving said guide member support upon reciprocation of said slay, such that with said slay at said second position, said guide member means for holding picked weft thread are in the shed, and upon reciprocation of said slay to said first position, the said means for curvilinearly moving said guide member support moving said guide member means out of the shed and along a curved pathway that is concave with respect to the fabric bell and that starts in a direction that is more sharply across the direction of the path of slay reciprocation and that gradually approaches the direction of that path.
 15. The device of claim 14, wherein said means for moving said guide member support is also adapted to gradually tilt said guide member means as said slay reciprocates; the said curvilinear path of said guide member means being around a first axis; said guide member means having a second, tilt axis that is different from the said first axis; said guide member means being tiltable around said second axis upon reciprocation of said slay; said means for moving said guide member support serving to tilt said guide member means in the direction opposed to that in which said guide member means are being reciprocated by said slay.
 16. Device for guiding the motion of weft yarn in the shed of a loom, comprising: a slay reciprocable toward and away from the fell of the fabric being woven on the loom; weft yarn guide members supported on said slay and reciprocable therewith; said guide members including means for holding picked weft thread and for releasing that weft thread when said guide members exit the loom shed; means connected to said slay for movement therewith and also connected to said guide members for moving said guide members on a pathway that is concavely shaped with respect to the fell of the fabric as said guide members are moved out of the loom shed upon motion of said slay toward the fell of the fabric. 